EU Member States have agreed to maintain «active vigilance» in the face of the apparent explosion of coronavirus infections in China, at an emergency meeting convened on Thursday, which resulted in a commitment to remain in contact to examine possible joint initiatives, such as those already publicly called for by Italy.
The European Commission has convened the Health Security Committee, which brings together representatives of the Ministries of Health of the Twenty-seven, to test a «coordinated» decision, after the Italian Government announced that it will ask for a negative test for coronavirus to all travelers from China.
«Coordination of national responses to serious cross-border health threats is crucial,» the EU executive stressed at the end of the meeting. «We need to act together and we will continue our discussions,» the Commission explained on social media.
The Member States, for their part, «have insisted on the importance of continuing active surveillance,» according to diplomatic sources who have also highlighted the sequencing of the virus as a «fundamental tool.» The Italian government has clarified this Thursday that for now it has not detected new variants coming from the Asian giant.
Spain has stressed during the meeting «the importance of continuing the path of European coordination in health policies», although for now there is no express commitment at the EU-27 level to adopt measures in the short term or to meet again.
The Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Health have also insisted in the last few hours on their recommendations that travelers to or from China should be fully vaccinated. Likewise, the Health Ministry has recalled the importance of the second booster dose, especially for the most vulnerable people.
EMERGENCY BRAKE Commission sources consulted by Europa Press have recalled before the meeting of the Health Security Committee that, when in October it was already agreed to lift the pending mobility restrictions, the possibility of activating an «emergency brake» to re-impose restrictions «in a coordinated manner» was also left open.
This approach was endorsed by the EU-27 on December 7, so that the bloc would have leeway to tighten controls if it considered it necessary to avoid possible collateral effects arising from the explosion of contagions in China.
Brussels recalls that the prevalent variant in China, the omicron BF7, is already present in Europe and «has not grown significantly» in recent weeks. «However, we remain vigilant and are ready to use the emergency brake if necessary,» the sources explained.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
